Small town immigration and I'm the only minority.

[naye826]

My family moved to a very small town in Nova Scotia and there are almost no minorities here. I feel a bit lonely and don't know what to do... Anyone on same situation? I want to know what you did

 

[arthurbr]

What keeps you from making canadian friends?

 

[canuck78]

Have you tried to get to know the people in your town? attended community events? Invited a group of people to your house for a meal, coffee? Rural areas are usually known to be very friendly as long as you start showing that you want to get to know people and get involved in the community.

 

[BC4life]

Consider it a golden opportunity for you to fully immerse in the Canadian culture.

 

[Ridge]

Where're you from? I'm from north-east Europe and I don't give a damn about making friends here in Canada. Trying to communicate with someone who's not your relative or collegue can be considered as an offense in my home country. It's pretty much the same here in Canada. A brief smile and "hello" to your neighbour is all you need to make people around you feel comfortable.

 

[naye826]

What keeps you from making canadian friends?

I think i'm just not sure where and how exactly I can start making Canadian friends. Do you have any suggestions? I'm also scared that they might reject me.

 

[naye826]

Have you tried to get to know the people in your town? attended community events? Invited a group of people to your house for a meal, coffee? Rural areas are usually known to be very friendly as long as you start showing that you want to get to know people and get involved in the community.

Where do you suggest to find these community events? I feel like I get scared because I feel like such an outsider. I can't talk so fast, but everyone else do.

 

[naye826]

Consider it a golden opportunity for you to fully immerse in the Canadian culture.

What is Canadian culture? What can i do to be immersed into it?

 

[naye826]

Where're you from? I'm from north-east Europe and I don't give a damn about making friends here in Canada. Trying to communicate with someone who's not your relative or collegue can be considered as an offense in my home country. It's pretty much the same here in Canada. A brief smile and "hello" to your neighbour is all you need to make people around you feel comfortable.

Yes ! I feel the same way. I think that is why I'm having a hard time making friend. Canadians are nice because they smile and say hello, but nothing more than that. Are you not lonely? How is your experience there?

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Where do you suggest to find these community events? I feel like I get scared because I feel like such an outsider. I can't talk so fast, but everyone else do.

You have to look around your town, see what's happening and put yourself out there. Join a volunteer organization, find a walking/coffee/book group, join a sports team, take a pottery/photography/Spanish/cooking class. Everyone is an outsider until they aren't. Don't worry if you can't talk fast; anyone who judges you for that isn't worth being friends with anyways.

 

[arthurbr]

I think i'm just not sure where and how exactly I can start making Canadian friends. Do you have any suggestions? I'm also scared that they might reject me.

I'm not very good with that either, but canadians are super friendly. I've talked to a lot of nice people while walking my dog, for example.

 

[zardoz]

I'm not very good with that either, but canadians are super friendly. I've talked to a lot of nice people while walking my dog, for example.

The quickest way to get strangers to talk to you is get a cute dog.... Works like magic. Especially if it's a Border Collie, like mine

 

[zardoz]

When you immigrate to a country, you need to adapt to that country's norms as much as possible.
If you can't do that, it may not be the right choice for you to make to move there.
Just as you wouldn't wear a bikini in KSA, don't expect 1.5 metres of personal space in Canada.

 

[canuck78]

Where do you suggest to find these community events? I feel like I get scared because I feel like such an outsider. I can't talk so fast, but everyone else do.

You have to ask around. Community centres? Volunteer groups? You can mention to colleagues that you are looking to meet new people where would they suggest/

 

[canuck_in_uk]

One week ago an indian dude started a conversation with me in safeway. That's absolutely disgusting, tbh. I don't give a damn who is this person, who his wife is and how hard he's working. I was acting politely as usual, saying some brief words and smiling a lot but I felt completely offended. We wished a good one to each other and this creep has finally gone. This person is nobody to me, he has to stay away and mind his own business. I told this story so you could understand that there's a very high possibility that you gonna make your "potential" friend feel distracted and offended. It's not about nationality or racism, it's about a comfort zone that is pretty much different for north europeans (white canadians are mostly british, german and dutch) and asians/africans.
I communicate only with my parents, wife and colleagues. Google "people at bus stop in finland" so you could understand how a comfort zone works for non-minorities.

It is not disgusting and if you think that way, Canada is not the country for you.

I was born and raised in Canada. If OP struck up a conversation with me in Safeway, I would be perfectly happy to chat while I shopped.